Redmond Elementary School is one of 90 schools in Washington being recognized with the 2015 School of Distinction award.
The award is decided by a partnership among the Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE), Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) and Washington Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (WASCD).
The 90 schools represent 51 elementary, 20 middle/junior high and 21 high schools — which also include five alternative schools in these numbers.
The schools were selected because of their sustained improvement over a five-year period in reading/English language arts (ELA), math and graduation rate. Elementary and middle schools are recognized for sustained improvement in reading/ELA and math achievement. High schools are recognized for sustained improvement in graduation rate over the past five years.
These 90 schools span all regions of the state, from large urban to small rural communities. Some of the student populations in these schools are as high as 97 percent poverty, 67 percent English language learners and serving high numbers of challenged learners in special education.
“These schools demonstrate that significant improvement is occurring across all our diverse public schools,” said Greg Lobdell, CEO and director of research for CEE.
In the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) region — which serves King and Pierce counties and Bainbridge Island — 37 schools in 13 school districts are award winners. Redmond Elementary is the only school in the Lake Washington School District.
“We are pleased to be a partner in honoring schools within our region that set a high standard in realizing dramatic achievement gains for students,” said John Welch, PSESD superintendent. “We recognize the difficult and important work that this takes. We salute the students, families, educators, and communities for their successes and for setting a high bar for us all.”
Next month, PSESD will host an event to honor and celebrate the work of the schools, teachers, staff and students earning the 2015 School of Distinction title.
